


A Warmth Like No Other

by ishipallthings



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Dorks in Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Hot Chocolate, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-02 00:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17254310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishipallthings/pseuds/ishipallthings
Summary: Tony invites Steve to make hot chocolate with him. Steve happily agrees, but then his mouth runs away with him.





	A Warmth Like No Other

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cap Iron Man Community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Cap+Iron+Man+Community).



> A fill for the community prompt: "Tony, you're like, hot chocolate.". 
> 
> I hope you like it! (It's so fluffy, but I won't apologize for that :D)
> 
> Thanks to erde for cheerleading and to xtaticpearl for the title help, you are both rockstars.
> 
> (Steve mentions that his dad used to take him fishing in 3x19 "The House of Zemo", so I'm assuming they had a few happy years together as a family.)

Steve pokes his head into the doorway of the communal kitchen. His smile widens to a beam when he sees that Tony’s already there, tying on his apron. Nat had gotten them their own personalized aprons last Christmas. Tony is particularly proud of his, which reads “Billionaire, philanthropist, and a good cook!”, while Steve’s has an image of a miniature Cap serving food on his shield. Steve thinks it’s cute. 

Tony had dropped by his room an hour ago to ask if Steve had wanted to help him make hot chocolate as a Christmas treat, an invite Steve had been more than happy to accept.

He had been thinking about taking Tony out for some hot cocoa and a walk in the park; he had even daydreamed about Tony forgetting his mittens like he always did, and Steve would use that as an excuse to hold his hand, keep Tony’s hands warm with his own. But making hot chocolate with Tony had sounded even better. Steve’s absurdly happy to see that the kitchen’s empty except for him and Tony. He loves his team, but this seems like a good opportunity to ask Tony out on a proper date, and he wants to take it.

They have been dancing around something for weeks, maybe months now, with soft smiles and easy jokes that always leave Steve feeling warm and like he's floating on air. Thinking about Tony makes him happy, but he’s also ready to move past thinking to actually doing something about his feelings, to being with Tony if that’s what he wants. Steve hopes fiercely that it is.

“Hey, Tony. I’m not late, am I?” Steve crosses the room and reaches for his own apron as Tony spins around, tossing a bright grin in his direction.

“You’re right on time Cap, don’t worry.” He gestures at the chopping board in front of him. “You can help me get the chocolate chopped so we can melt it.” 

Steve gets to work on the chocolate tablet, cutting it into small, even squares. He knows the size doesn’t really matter since they’ll be melting the chocolate, but he likes symmetry, and he finds the regular movement of the knife soothing. 

He smiles when Tony walks over to him, peering over Steve’s shoulder to inspect his handiwork. Tony sneaks a square of chocolate, biting into it with a quiet noise of pleasure. Steve laughs at him, even as part of his mind zeros on the question of whether the chocolate would taste sweeter if he kissed it from Tony’s lips right now. Maybe if he’s lucky, he’ll get a chance to find out.

“Seems like I’ve caught the chocolate thief red-handed.” Letting out a mock gasp of shock, Steve places a hand over his heart. “I can’t believe it - it’s Iron Man!” 

Snorting, Tony glances at him fondly. “Just checking to see if you’re doing your job right, Cap.”

 

* * *

 

As Steve keeps an eye on the chocolate melting on the stove, Tony starts the next step of heating the milk. The chocolate smells absolutely divine, and Steve takes a long appreciative whiff as he leans against the tabletop. If Clint and Thor weren’t away on a mission, he’s positive they would have invaded the kitchen by now. 

He looks up to see Tony watching him with a soft smile and can’t help but respond in kind. 

“Smells amazing, doesn’t it? That was my favorite part as a kid.” Tony ducks his head a little, as if unsure whether or not to continue, and Steve holds Tony’s gaze steadily, hoping he’ll say more. Tony very rarely opens up about his childhood, even though Steve knows he trusts the team like family, and Steve treasures every glimpse of vulnerability Tony lets him see. He wants to hold Tony in his arms and keep him safe, tell him he wants to know everything, good and bad, that nothing will ever scare Steve off. That Tony will never be too much because he’s just right for Steve.

“We didn’t have a lot leftover for presents when I was a kid, but Ma always made sure I got something, and we had this houseplant we kept alive for years that we decorated with ribbons whenever it was Christmas time.”

He keeps his voice light as he wanders over the memories, bright and clear in his mind because of how often he’s visited them. He misses it, the way you miss something special that you know you won’t be able to get back again, but it doesn’t hurt as much anymore. 

Steve glances at Tony, who is looking at him with something warm and gentle in his eyes that he feels like a balm, and continues. “My dad used to sing Christmas carols. He had a good voice. I used to sing along with him, but I wasn’t very good at staying on pitch.”

There’s a short pause before Tony’s at his side, a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know, Steve, I’ve heard you on karaoke night, you’re not bad.” Steve smiles, letting himself be pulled back to the present. To Tony. 

As if bolstered by Steve’s shared memories, Tony begins to speak as he stirs the warm milk, adding in a splash of vanilla extract. 

“Yeah, hot chocolate was our Christmas tradition. For my mom and me, at least. She’d wake me up really early on Christmas morning and she would let me watch as she made hot chocolate from scratch for the both of us. She told me it was something her mother used to do with her.” He laughs unsteadily, looking a little lost, and Steve instinctively moves closer to him.

“She liked adding something of her own every year - sometimes it was peppermint, another time it was caramel. She’d tell me to close my eyes, and she would make me guess what she added.”

“It sounds wonderful, Tony.” Steve’s heart feels too big for his chest, expanding with all the love he feels for Tony at this moment. 

To keep himself from saying something that would mean moving too fast, he reaches over and takes Tony’s hand for a moment, giving it a comforting squeeze before letting go. Tony’s eyes dart up to his before moving away. Steve can see the hint of a blush growing on his face. The idea that him holding Tony’s hand could make him blush makes him almost giddy, and Steve bites his lip to keep from grinning.

“Yeah it was pretty great. When I was a little older she let me help out, and that was fun. We kind of stopped doing it after I went off to MIT though.” The smile on Tony’s face falls a little, and Steve’s heart clenches at the sight. 

“I think she’d be happy to see you starting it again.” 

“I did it with Rhodey for a few years, after they… It helped, those first few years.” Tony glances up at Steve, his expression unsure. “But it’s been a while. Actually, uh, this is the first year I’ve done it in a long time.” 

Steve lets the words sink into him, warming him from inside out before he speaks. “Thank you, Tony. It means a lot to me that you would want to share this with me.” The words are not enough to express everything he’s feeling right now, but he hopes Tony understands how thankful he is that he gets to be here for him, with him. 

Tony smiles shyly in return. “Thanks for saying yes, Steve.”

The look of blooming happiness on Tony’s face when he replies, “I’ll always say yes,” makes it very hard for Steve not to kiss him.

 

* * *

 

“Wait! You forgot the final touch, Cap.” Laughing, Tony reaches into the bag of tiny marshmallows before plopping five of them on the top of his cup, then Steve’s. “It isn’t hot chocolate without tiny marshmallows.” 

Steve grins apologetically before taking a small sip of his drink. He lets out a sigh of pleasure at the warm rich taste of chocolate melting on his tongue and bites into one of the marshmallows. 

Tony takes a sip as well. He had opted for whipped cream while Steve had declined the offer (“you’re a heathen, Cap!”). When he comes up for air, he has whipped cream around his mouth.

“It’s good.” Tony’s voice is happy if a little surprised, and in answer, Steve feels a glow of warm happiness in his chest. “I almost forgot how this is when you make it from scratch.”

Taking another sip, he lets out a laugh. “You’d think it would come out bitter and dark, like me.”

“What?” Steve knows Tony’s making a joke, but he can’t contain his surprise. Bitter and dark are the last things that come to mind when he’s thinking of Tony. 

He’s so busy processing this that he doesn’t realize what he’s saying out loud until he’s actually hearing the words. “Tony, you’re not bitter and dark. You’re, you’re like hot chocolate.” 

His brain screeches to a halt, and Steve feels his face flush in utter mortification. Of all the things he could have said, all of the compliments he could have picked, he just compared Tony to hot chocolate. That’s romantic.

“Hot chocolate?” There’s a laughing note in Tony’s voice as he looks up at Steve with a growing smile, but it’s a gentle one, and Steve knows Tony isn’t laughing at him. At his ridiculous remark maybe, but not at him. 

The thought is mildly comforting, but not enough to save him as he flounders for a response. “I, well, what I meant was–” Steve breaks off into a half-laugh before taking a deep breath and soldiering on. 

“Well, you’re warm, like hot chocolate - I know it’s hard for you to open up to people, but you’ve opened yourself up to us and given us a home, made us a team. And whenever I can’t sleep, talking to you always makes me feel better.

“And you’re sweet, Tony. You’re so kind, even if you don’t see it yourself.” He feels himself blush as he sneaks a glance at Tony’s face, slack with astonishment and something approaching wonder. 

“But you’re not too sweet either, again, like hot chocolate. You’ve been through so much, and you have scars, like we all do, but you’re so strong. You don’t let them turn you bitter, you just get up and start trying again.” 

_And_ , his brain suggests, _you’d like to take a drink of him_. Steve pushes the thought away, feeling his face heat up. 

When he looks up next, Tony is suddenly a lot closer, eyes bright and leaning up towards Steve. He places his mug on the table next to them, before taking Steve’s mug from him and putting it down as well. 

“Anything else, Steve?” Tony sounds breathless as he waits for Steve’s reply. Steve’s eyes drop down to his lips, and his heart speeds up in his chest as he scrambles for his next words. 

“Your eyes, they’re–” His words are cut off as Tony pulls him down for a kiss, wrapping his arms around Steve’s neck as Steve’s hands move to his back, holding him close. Tony tastes like chocolate and whipped cream, and Steve swears he’s never tasted anything sweeter. 

When they break apart, both breathing hard, Steve keeps Tony in his arms. “See? You’re sweet.” 

“And you’re a sap, Rogers.” Tony’s voice falls short of teasing and comes out disbelieving instead.

Steve grins in response, planting a kiss on Tony’s forehead. “Yep, all yours too.” The way Tony tightens his grip on Steve tells him that was the right response, and he leans down for another kiss. 

“You know, you were right. It does taste better with whipped cream.”

 

* * *

 

The hot chocolate ends up getting cold, but Steve doesn’t mind very much. He already has everything he needs, and they have next year to continue the tradition.

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure, I have never made hot chocolate from scratch, I referred to a recipe online while writing this. 
> 
> Kudos and comments will always make me smile :)
> 
> Maru drew some amazing art for this fic, go [check it out](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17483384/chapters/41176871)!


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